Recessed fixtures (e.g., recessed light fixtures, etc.) are commonly used in both residential and commercial settings, and may be either originally installed during construction, or subsequently added during a remodel. Typically, the structure of a recessed fixture is mostly or entirely recessed into a structural surface (e.g., a ceiling, wall, etc.), leaving little if any structure extending beyond a nominal plane of the structural surface immediately surrounding the recessed fixture.
Users wishing to convert a recessed light to an exposed fixture—by adding a glass shade for example—have few available options without replacing or modifying the fixture itself. Further, altering existing recessed fixtures typically requires employing an electrician, a carpenter or other qualified craftsmen due to safety considerations and/or due to the specific skills and/or tools reasonably required.
Available devices generally require attachment to the recessed light fixture itself. For example, some shades (e.g., from Stonegate Designs; 4200 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085; www.stonegatedesigns.com) clip to the trim piece of an existing recessed ‘can light’ fixture. However, such recessed light fixtures are not designed and configured to support the additional weight of, for example, a glass and/or metal shade or another structure with which a user may wish to update an interior space. While recessed fixtures originally installed during construction are more solidly attached than recessed fixtures later installed during a remodel, for example, recessed fixtures are not generally intended to be load-bearing, or to provide structural attachment and/or support for other structures.
For at least this reason, available devices are limited only to attachment of lightweight aesthetic covers (e.g., shades) to a recessed light, wherein the recessed light itself remains the source of any provided light. Therefore, the available range of improvements is generally limited to a narrow range of lightweight aesthetic alterations alone.